Guilty Passions and Toxic Risk-Taking

I recently met another MCSer who is passionate about activism. She says activism helps her stay connected to the community as well as make her feel as if she is contributing toward a better future. There is a blog for those who want to be involved, but are limited with disabilities. Occupy at Home features informative articles on accessibility and inclusion for those with participation limitations. If you want to keep up with the latest issues that make people angry and need to know how you can become involved from home, this is the blog to read. There is an index for categories at the right which includes multiple chemical sensitivity.  My new activist friend goes by "Comrade Canary."

As someone who is chemically sensitive, Comrade Canary must mask up to participate in group gatherings such as protests, picket lines, and marches. There is always risk of chemical exposure, but she prioritizes her outings, and I'm sure like the rest of us, must be very selective and cautious when gathering with the smelly unenlightened. When she told me this my first thought, Oh, she's brave! Then, Oh, she's crazy!  Then, Oh, she's passionate! One has to feel very strongly about something to be willing to risk the consequences.

The kitchen counter is a mess!

It got me thinking of guilty pleasures, or rather, guilty passions. Things we do we know are bad for us, but we just can't seem to stop. This also includes things we know we should not do but do them anyway because of our responsibilities. Of course, we don't necessarily feel guilty. I doubt if Comrade Canary feels any guilt trying to make the world a better place, but we are clearly aware they might make us feel sick, or in some cases, they might even kill us, yet we throw caution to the wind and dive right in.

My guilty passion is painting, as I've mentioned before. I can't seem to stop. I paint walls, floors, houses, furniture, canvases, lamps, jars, fabric, pillows...if paint will stick to it, I'll paint it. I know it's toxic and I know it's unnecessary. Prior to making the commitment to start a project I do everything possible to talk myself out of it. Eventually, I lose all willpower and I suddenly find myself covered in paint and wondering what was I thinking? I just can't seem to stop myself. This week I painted signs for my friend's moving sale and signs for the annual ice cream social. All summer I've been working on the project from hell. (Stay tuned!)


In order to do this I must deck myself out in a homemade bio-hazard costume: hat, goggles, mask, apron, gloves, long pants, and old socks. You'd think all this hassle would discourage me from painting. It's very uncomfortable, difficult to breathe in, difficult to see out of, hot and sweaty especially in the summer, and even difficult to paint in, but it doesn't stop me.

Do I feel guilty? Often. I always think I should make more of an effort not to poison myself.

One day I was painting out in the garage and Smelly Neighbor walked by. She asked, "How can you work with paint? Aren't they chemicals?"

I adjusted my mask so I could speak to her, "This can of paint is less toxic than your perfume. In fact, paint and perfume have some of the same cancer-causing chemicals. I wear protection and avoid rubbing it all over my skin. You don't."  She didn't argue, but I saw the look in her eye and smirk on her face that clearly although silently screamed, "BULLSHIT."  I could tell she was wondering if I'd been lying about being chemically sensitive. I have to ask myself, what kind of message is my guilty passion sending to those who don't understand?

Still, it doesn't stop me. I love to paint. Damn.

What is your guilty pleasure, passion, or responsibility? What do you do knowing it's a toxic risk?

Humanity Overload



The day before yesterday my neighbors, the only ones I like, emailed me to tell me they were going to have a moving sale and invited me to come. Yes, my favorite neighbors are moving OUT, AWAY, BACK TO CIVILIZATION. Yes, I see it as a betrayal, although I'm more envious and understanding than offended. Naturally, being the queen of garage/yard/estate/moving sales I immediately volunteered the use of my signs and tables. They said, "Bring some stuff to sell and join us!" How could I pass that up?? I had been planning a garage sale all summer, but never got around to it. Maybe I can sell a few things and lighten my materialistic load.

I have to say it was the most stressful garage sale I have ever encountered. First, they just wanted to get rid of stuff so everything was cheap. Before we even opened, people were grabbing things and bundling them for a better price...the few things I brought just started disappearing!

"So how much did you get for my silk scarf?"

"What silk scarf?"

"The one that woman is carrying away with her?"

My friend began screaming at the woman who is about ten feet away and heading to her car, "Did you buy that? Come back here! How much did you buy it for???"

I frantically whisper to her, "Don't worry about it! Not important! We'll figure it out later."

The Hispanic woman returned with her whole family in tow, embarrassed beyond belief and with fear in her eyes tried to explain in broken English she bought all of it for $32.00.

At one point my friend told Woman Number One she would save the living room set so she could run home across the street to get money, then sold it to Woman Number Two as Woman Number One was racing back up the walkway. Woman Number One yelled "You are so rude!" to my friend and stomped away. Woman Number Two returned to get more of the cushions and my friend tried to give her back her money so she could sell it to Woman Number One, but Woman Number Two said she already paid for it and most of it is in her truck, HELL NO! It's MINE!

In addition to the interesting customer service style, I tried to give my friends tips like don't use a money box, well, OK, if you must, but don't leave it unattended. Where is the money box? Are you sure you want to leave it on the table on the other side of the yard unattended? or Since there is nothing for sale in the house, don't let people in to wander around freely or you might lose your cell phone, iPod, Kindle or anything left on the counters or tables, uh, hmm...do you know those people who just walked into your living room? They were too hyperactive to listen. After a while I felt like I was babysitting grown-ups and being obnoxiously bossy so I just shut up and tried to keep an eye on everything including the merchandise which was impossible.

Good GOD! I was about to tear my hair out, but I should have expected it. As delightful as my friends are, they weren't very organized and this sale was just a means to an end. I think they might have been as happy to throw it all in the garbage. It was chaotic. I should have known. Lesson learned.

And then there were all the neighbors. A yard sale is cause for celebration in our little town so all the people I work very hard to avoid most of the year are now in my face. By 3pm nearly everything was sold and I was exhausted.  More mentally and emotionally than physically.

After the sale, I headed to the hardware store and who do I run into but the Rapist of Rathole, formerly known as the Sleazeball Construction Scammer. What a way to end the day. No, I didn't confront him. It was difficult to hold my tongue and every time I see him I feel uncontrollable rage, but I walked away without saying a word. I'm working on forgiving him and letting the universe take care of it. Still, the need to unload the stress forced me to scream what I wanted to say to him in the confines of my van. I berated and humiliated him all the way home.

By that time all I wanted to do was drag myself to safety, lock the gate behind me, lock the door behind me, and seclude myself in the isolation of my fortress. I did not want to see another living soul for at least a week and I wished I was living in the middle of forty acres...surrounded by a moat...filled with crocodiles.

Why am I telling you this story? It got me thinking if I can't handled one day of neighbors, how on earth would I be able to live in a eco-village with chemically-sensitive neighbors in close proximity? We as MCSers deal with all kinds of illness symptoms that often make us not-so-sociable and down-right-difficult a lot of the time. We are compatibility-impaired in general. Is my eco-village dream even rational for most chemically-sensitive people? Neighborly encounters on a daily basis and unable to get away from people...that sounds like my personal hell. I like my option of isolation and I'm not sure I'm willing to give it up for a fantasy.

Hmmmm....?

I'm re-thinking my MCS eco-village fantasy. After it gets built and started, I'll step away and go live on my own acreage next door!

 

By the way, the working name for my fantasy is Canary Haven Eco-Village. What do you think?

The Elimination Experiment, or Fatigue Testing

After five doctors and no answers, I'm determined to figure out why I'm always tired so I'm attempting some elimination tests.

The Paleo-Hashimoto's diet I been on has been very successful. I have not had any episodes of exhaustion. The "exhaustion" is when I am so tired I can barely move, lifting my arm takes enormous effort, and the only thing I am capable of doing is lying in bed. I'm not tired or sleepy and I can't sleep, I just can't seem to move. It's very frightening. It's the memory of those exhaustion episodes that helps me maintain my will power and keeps me from eating gluten and chocolate. I believe it's the gluten that provoke the autoimmune attacks on my thyroid.

The underlying fatigue started when I moved into this house eight years ago, maybe even a few years prior although it wasn't very apparent. I don't feel like exercising. I can often work through the fatigue with walking, gardening or projects, but no bike riding or stretching/exercising and even sitting still and reading feels like great effort. I experience the fatigue more in the spring and summer, and most often in the afternoon. I feel so tired I just want to nap, usually around 2pm to about 5pm.


Fatigue Theories:

Hay fever allergies are known for symptoms of fatigue and it's a little coincidental that most of my fatigue takes place in the spring and summer. As a child I lived in the country, dealt with hay fever, and as soon as I came of age I headed to the city where all my hay fever issues went away. I've now moved back to the country to get out of the pollution. There isn't much I can do about hay fever other than take drugs like Benadryl. Benadryl will clear up the respiratory symptoms like runny nose, sneezing, and sinus congestion, but it also causes fatigue. If all this fatigue is caused by hay fever allergies, my only alternative would be to move back to the city where I don't have allergies, but then I would have to suffer chemical exposures which are worse.

Air-borne chemicals  During the spring and summer the city sprays the streets, sidewalks and parks with herbicides and my neighbors spray their lawns. I do notice during the spring and summer there are days when if I go for a walk my lungs start feeling heavy and hurt. In addition, when my neighbor does laundry, it stinks to high heaven and pollutes the whole neighborhood. Incredibly toxic. Is it causing the fatigue?  Other than staying inside all summer, there isn't much I can do about air-borne chemicals other than to continue to do what I can to avoid exposure.

Mold  In the dirt? In the air? Spring and summer is when the ground and air warms. Does it activate mold growth? Every now and then if I dig in the garden, I become very tired. Might be a correlation or the correlation is the exercise? I don't know. I'll not dig in the dirt and use it as a test.

Computers and electromagnetic field exposures  I can keep track of the time I spend on the computer, but other than that it is another uncontrollable variable as I have to work.

Water-borne chemicals  I tend to feel tired once a month consistently and this leads me to believe there might be a connection to the city's water treatments and the fatigue I experience. I love soaking in the bathtub. I can take very short showers and see if that makes a difference and during the time period in question, avoid bathing all together and use it as a test.

Adrenal fatigue  Any number of things can contribute to adrenal fatigue, but stress is the number one factor.  I tend to be very reactive to emotions and sensitive to stress, but I don't have much on a daily basis. Bathing in hot water affects body temperature and puts a lot of stress on one's adrenals which could also affect energy levels. I have done some experimentation with adrenal support and nothing has made a difference. I'm at a loss for what else to try. No bathing might make a difference.

Diet  I've done well to reduce my intake of bad foods, but I still have my guilty pleasures and most of them are NOT on my Paleo-Hashimoto's diet. Although I don't eat a lot of the forbidden foods, every now and then I do treat myself.  Dried fruits are high in carbohydrates and affect blood sugar, and I'm addicted to raisins and dates as snacks. Yogurt (dairy) is known for inflammation, and unfortunately, when I get bored with the same old foods I treat myself with high fat, no sugar, plain yogurt. Potatoes are also high in carbohydrates (sugars) even though I eat them rarely, I haven't stopped completely. Grains are not on the diet either and I rarely eat gluten-free grain products with rice flour, potato flour or other substitutes, but every now and then for something different, I do. Rice is a carbohydrate and even though I don't eat it nearly as much as I did prior to starting this diet, I start feeling discombobulated if I go without it for up to two weeks. I also eat a lot of eggs, more than any human should consume. Are they causing fatigue? Let's find out. Can I give up these foods for three weeks? I'll need to add some recipes to my diet that will keep me full and satisfied like more beef and lamb.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome  One doctor suggested chronic fatigue, but I don't seem to have the other symptoms that accompany this condition. If so, there is nothing I can do about it.

Menopause and Hormonal Changes  Maybe. Not much I can do about this, either. Old people feel tired and nap a lot. I'm in that in between stage - I'm not old enough to retire, but I'm old enough to start feeling like I should. Damn.


Elimination Plan:

For three weeks I am not to soak in hot baths. Brief showers only except between the 19th and 25th when I sponge bathe in distilled water. No eating problematic foods (eggs, yogurt, dried fruit, potatoes or rice, gluten-free flours) for three weeks. I can't avoid the outside which would be ideal, but I can't stop what little exercise I'm getting and it's summer. I need sunshine for vitamin D. I'll keep track of everything I'm eating as well as anything unusual that I do or that happened during the day, for instance, air pollution encounters, labor-intensive projects, when I take a shower, and how often I'm on the computer.

Notes and Highlights:

The first day: NO FATIGUE. The second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth days: NO FATIGUE.  Even after strenuous work, walking, or computer time, I didn't feel the normal afternoon fatigue. There were a few days when I felt a little tired around 6pm, but nothing that stopped me from functioning. I had high hopes that I was doing something right until the evening of the ninth day.

Day eight I was exposed to long grass and my hay fever symptoms went crazy. Later that night, I wanted to eat eggs. I couldn't stop thinking about them. It's the only thing I wanted to eat, but I didn't. Sinuses were painfully raw and respiratory tract was uncomfortably congested. The next day allergy symptoms were still bothering me, but not as bad. Later that night I started pacing around the kitchen like a caged animal. I'm hungry, but nothing looks good. I didn't eat rice although I know it would have stopped me from pacing. Tenth day woke up tired and stayed that way all day crashing around two in the afternoon and sleeping for two hours. Allergies?? Or maybe coming down off of allergies?

Around day five I started feeling like I want to exercise! Nothing strenuous, just stretching and movement, but normally I don't even feel like I'm capable of any kind of exertion.

After a week of no raisins or dates, I didn't even care. I really thought I'd have problems giving up the sugary stuff.

Air-borne chemical encounters clearly gave me headaches and migraines usually within a few minutes and the intensity depended on the encounter. Getting one whiff of that sickly-sweet laundry detergent wafting over from my neighbor's house nearly killed me one morning. I ran back into the house and stayed there for a few hours with the windows closed until I thought their laundry was done. Didn't seem to have any correlation to fatigue, though.

Around day seventeen I was COLD. My whole body cold. And hungry. I wanted to take a bath just to warm up, but instead crawled into bed for about an hour. Didn't sleep because I wasn't tired. Hungry all day, but nothing sounded satisfying. Later in the day I wanted to eat eggs. I didn't. I ate rice...I couldn't wait any longer.

The Challenges:

I added a "forbidden" for one day and stop for four days to see what happens.

RICE: no negative effects, felt better, no hunger and no fatigue

GLUTEN-FREE CUPCAKE WITH SUGAR: YUM! I couldn't help myself. I was awake later than usual (lots of energy), I seem to have more hot flashes, and slightly tired about four hours later with slight headache, but no crashing type of fatigue.

EGGS: The cravings indicated eggs might be an issue, maybe associated with hay fever? Eggs are really high in zinc which assists detoxification. As soon as I ate them I kept having to clear my throat. Then I ate them again and again all day. I felt a little tired at the bewitching hour (2:00pm), but not much and no crashing. I ate them again and had no reaction at all.

YOGURT: The yogurt was heavenly, I slept good after, and awoke with lots of energy the next morning. It's not yogurt!

POTATOES: Yum! I baked them as French Fries in olive oil. No fatigue. I do wonder if I ate them a lot or repeatedly for days if they would also produce fatigue. So several weeks later I tried that and experienced no fatigue.

GLUTEN-FREE PANCAKES: These are made with rice flour and some other stuff. I eat them so infrequently, maybe once every two or three months so it's been a while since I've had them. I went picking blueberries and thought this would be a good opportunity to make blueberry pancakes and test the reaction. I ate one pancake and felt really awful. About an hour later the headaches started and then I crashed and slept for two hours. All before noon! Fatigue and headaches the rest of the day.

BATH: I was getting a strange rash on my calves before I started this experiment which only got worse every time I took a bath. It nearly all went away during the bathing elimination phase.  I took a fast dip in a cool bath thinking a hot bath was causing the rash, and my calves started burning anyway. I had planned to take hot baths the whole day to test the fatigue, but if one short cool dip would cause the burning, I decided to wait to add hot baths later. I took that cool dip when the chemicals in the water are at their worst.

About a week later, I just wanted a bath and it was time to do a bath challenge. To soak in hot water. It was wonderful. Two hours later I did it again. I felt tired immediately after and crashed, sleeping for two hours. Took another bath and the headaches and nausea started. I jump in the shower with a gallon of heated distilled water and tried to rinse the water off. Even so, I woke up the next morning with nausea, pain in my lower back, a headache and fatigue and later that afternoon, crashed and slept for one hour. It took two days to recover and the whole time I felt groggy and tired. Is it the chemicals in the water? I've had problems with them in the past. Or is it the heat stressing my adrenals? I have no idea. Maybe both. But the rash didn't come back with the second bath. I think maybe the rash and nausea are from the chemicals and the fatigue is from the heat.

DRIED FRUIT: Oh, raisins and dates...my addiction. I was surprised it was so easy to give them up. For me, dried fruit might as well be straight sugar. I had a bad feeling and almost considered not using them as a test, but I needed to confirm. I bought a small bag of dates and immediately felt sick after eating some. Ate a few more of the dates the next day and around 2pm crashed for nearly FOUR hours. Good to know.

DIGGING IN THE DIRT/MOLD THEORY:  This was the last test. I cut all my lettuce and gave it to the food bank then the next morning I dug out all the roots. I dug deep and got my nose down in the dirt to make sure the exposure was good. No fatigue at all.


Conclusion:

Besides the normal dietary restrictions of gluten, sweeteners, dairy, tomatoes, mushrooms, pork, shellfish, high glycemic fruits, juices, junk food and processed foods:

*Stay away from hot baths.
*Stay away from bath during city treatment periods.
*Stay away from flours or grains (other than rice).
*Stay away from dried fruits.

*Limit egg intake.

*Continue limiting rice intake no more than once every ten days.

*Avoid potatoes and yogurt because they aren't on the Paleo-Hashimoto's diet, but if I treat myself, I know these items not causing the fatigue.

*Hay fever reeks havoc on my body. Oh well.

*Stay away from chemicals. Knew that.

The closer I get to following Dr. Kharrazian's Hashimoto's diet, the better I feel. The rice is still a cheat but I don't have a clue why it makes me insane not to eat it. I'll avoid potatoes and yogurt, also cheats, even though they don't affect me. That random fatigue episode after the hay fever reaction is puzzling, but I feel closer to an answer. Non-scientific tests done at home without laboratory control are really inconclusive at best. I have no idea if combinations of things create the fatigue or other variables, but this is the best I could do.

The plan and challenges took about two months total. I'm so tired of eating pot roast...

Earth First

Earth First is a wonderful video about earthen buildings around the world featuring structures hundreds of years old that have withstood the test of time.

The video runs a little over one hour. Click HERE to watch.

Once again I am excited about this idea. I wonder if one could use the desert soil in Snowflake to build cob houses? It's like making a giant ceramic pot. Inexpensive, sustainable, beautiful and most importantly, natural and non-toxic.

Cob Houses

I want a cob house! I think it would go well with desert landscaping, in fact, I think it would beautify a desert environment. They are also chemical-free, earthquake resistant, insect resistant and so cute. Hobbit houses! I'm up for it!

 

 

 



 

I can imagine a whole chemically-sensitive village of cob houses out in the desert. How superb! They don't have to be very big either. Just large enough for shelter from the elements, bathroom facilities, and electricity. I think those who are living out of their cars would appreciate a little home like this. Then maybe a community center with showers, recreation area, and a kitchen. People who want a bigger cob house can build their own.

 

What I could do with a lottery winning right now!

The Housing Search, Updates

I'm still searching for a safe place to live. Here's my update...



My favorite rental: a tiny castle.

Rentals

There seems to be a huge population of people trying to rent right now. This puts the advantage in the hands of the landlords. They can afford to be picky.

I am not having much luck. If the rental is clean, well-maintained and in great shape, the owners don't allow pets. Some have cautiously said my rabbit would be fine, but I can always tell they aren't so excited about him even if I swear he will never be in the house. Even if the safe, clean, well-maintained dwelling allows pets, it goes fast. I'm pretty sure any mention of my outdoor rabbit and the prospective landlords opt for a non-pet owning renter if given the choice. This puts me at a huge and frustrating disadvantage.  Most of the nicer rentals are outside my budget as well and those that are out of town are difficult to drive to at a moments notice, again, putting me at a disadvantage. I haven't given up...renting would afford me the luxury of trying out different locations before committing to a real estate purchase. I just think it'll be easier without my floppy-eared, outdoor-living roommate.


Trailers and RVs

It seems the key to finding a safe trailer is one that is used and already modified for chemically sensitive people. Taylor Airstreams did contact me and said they are no longer focusing their business on trailers although they didn't say why. I've heard trying to build a non-toxic dwelling for people who's sensitivities are so variable has a number of risks. Customers who have invested all their money into something that doesn't work for them can be very unhappy. Taylor has had to deal with too many lawsuits. I can imagine this is a challenge for the designers, or maybe just a headache. The process of paying for the consultation, planning and remodel in advance before knowing if it will work doesn't appeal to me. Too risky and too many people have told me even the Taylor Airstreams are problematic due to the glues they use. I think I need to buy something already modified so I can spend time in it first. My hesitation here is I wouldn't have any idea what I'm looking at or whether or not it has problems outside health issues.

Some people have modified their own trailers or found someone to do it for them. I've heard some real horror stories about the modification process and the toxicity they find in the walls or floors and I'm hearing some real hardship stories about what it's like to live in one. This doesn't give me confidence. I haven't made contact with anyone living in one who is on the road. Still looking....

MCS Communities

I have discovered some information on MCS communities.

Escalante House in Escalante, Utah was being planned in 1999 with $20,000 start-up funds and their grant documentation is still online HERE. Their plan was to buy and develop 325 acres in the hinterlands of Utah selling 6 acre plots with bylaws to guarantee chemical-free living. Sounds perfect! Unfortunately, that's all I can find out. The organizing partners were going to give the plan a year to get off the ground. There is no other information to be found. I've attempted to contact the planners through the email address and telephone number on the grant proposal, but everything is disconnected or defunct. I've posted on some MCS housing sites, but no one has responded with information. Too bad we can't get organized to make this happen!

Seagoville Ecological Housing Facility in Seagoville, Texas, east of Dallas is in existence. It sounds like a large property with a variety of architectural dwellings from trailers to small eco-friendly dwellings. There are some photos HERE. The website says it's $45.00 per day, $350.00 per week, and $845.00 per month. I didn't check on the availability of housing. Not sure if I'm interested in living in Texas, but at least this is an option. I would like to visit.

UPDATE: I've heard from people who have visited and who have lived at the Seagoville location. Not a lot of positive feedback, in fact, I'd steer clear!

Environmental Health Center apartments in Dallas, TX. The requirement here is you must be a patient of Dr. William Rea in Dallas. The online photos show apartments that look very clean and non-toxic as well as sparse. I don't think you are allowed many personal items and you definitely aren't allowed a rabbit.

Dolan Springs in northern Arizona there is a small community building slowly. I haven't heard much on this area, but it sounds like Snowflake only more expensive.

The Commons on the Alameda Co-Housing Community in Santa Fe, New Mexico sounds like a great place or so I've heard, however, I'm not seeing any fragrance-free or chemical-free guidelines on their site so I'm not clear how this community is for the chemically sensitive. At the time of this post, they have one 2200 square foot house for sale at $425,000 which is way beyond my budget and size preferences.

Quail Haven Community north of Tucson, Arizona. I'm not getting a clear vision of this community, nor understand how many people actually live there. Several people have emailed me to let me know they have been there or lived there for a short time. My first few web hits indicated it is a community and lots were being sold, but most people tell me about the house Diane Ensign owns and has been trying to sell for years. She rents it out along with an apartment over a garage. But is it a community? Unclear. I've emailed Diane but she's currently in Montana without much Internet access. Advantages of area: beautiful desert landscaping, mountains above Tucson so air is clean, Tucson is close with culture...friendliest bicycle city in the country. Gotta love that. Disadvantages: EMFs, drive to Tucson for organic food is too long, hellish dust, weird weather, overpriced land. There seems to be a lot of chemically sensitive people living around Tucson, but not necessarily in Quail Haven. Most people I talk to about Quail Haven suggest I go to Snowflake....

Snowflake, Arizona...I don't think I can rule this community out just yet. I did talk to someone who has been living there for a few years in a trailer and is now building a house. She thinks some of the negative information I've received isn't correct. She doesn't think there is a lack of contractors in the area and she is loving the guy she hired who had a house built for her in just over 4 months. Regarding the pig farm and forest fires, although these negatives are true she hasn't notice a problem and says no place will be perfect, but Snowflake is darn close. I'm still attracted to the cheap land.

Unless I built an air-conditioned garage, Peter wouldn't like Arizona. He has no summer clothes...

Although there are many eco-villages around the country focusing on sustainable living and share some philosophies for healthy practices needed by MCSers, none have specific bylaws requesting chemically-free practices. Living in such close proximity to others, I require some non-toxic rules.

Builders

I met Joseph Becker of ION Ecobuilding who builds sustainable houses specializing in straw-clay houses. He is currently building at the Port Townsend Eco-Village and gave me a tour of his own personal experiment which will be his office when finished.

 

It's only 200 square feet plus a loft and built with all found materials and straw-clay insulation.

 

 

See the roof over the front porch? That will be a "living" roof with plants. Cool!

 

 

There is a pull-down ladder to the loft. Is this dwelling non-toxic? Maybe, but he had just oiled some of the surfaces with, I think, linseed oil and it was driving me nuts. I felt like I couldn't breathe. I know linseed oil is what people use to seal earthen floors, and it might offgas nicely, but I don't know for sure. I'd have to nix the linseed oil.

 

MOST IMPORTANT ADVICE SO FAR...

If your house is relatively safe, don't give it up until you are absolutely certain your new home is safe.

The MCSer who gave this advice speaks from experience and warned me how easy it is to end up living a migrant life, moving from place to place because nothing works, and always too close to homelessness. She is currently living in a leaky remodeled Airstream, in the desert, with no insulation, on land that her ex-boyfriend owns and is kind enough to allow her to stay for free.

Her advice isn't new information, but a good reminder of how bad it can get. It has been my plan all along not to sell my house until I am somewhere stable and guaranteed safe. Every now and then I get anxious and want to sell the house first so I have the enough money to purchase, but this past year of looking for a place to live and not finding anything has been a wake-up call. The Moldy Slumlord from last Spring also reminded me how bad it could get and made me incredibly grateful I had a refuge to return to that was relatively safe. I won't take chances. The reality is I could end up very ill or homeless if I'm not careful. There are so many who are homeless...

Registered Sex Offenders, or My Construction Karma

When I first considered moving to this area I checked the Registered Sex Offender list for my county. I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to be living next to a rapist. I always think my instincts would flare up if I ever encountered one or if my registered-sex-offender radar would send me invisible warnings to protect me.  I remember looking at the mug shots and thinking, I hope I remember these faces. Or at least remember to check back if some sleaze ball took to slithering around my house being friendly. I did check the list a few years ago, again, just as a precaution. I really don't care for any of my smelly neighbors, but they at least they aren't rapists.

Remember the sleaze ball, lying-sack-of-shit construction worker the local hardware store recommended to me last year? I just found out not only is he an ex-convict, but he's a Registered Sex Offender. LEVEL 3. Not level one or level two, but level 3. That means is they expect him to re-offend in the future.  All the other listed sex offenders posing for their mug shots look fairly embarrassed by their predicament, perhaps remorseful. Not this guy. Sleaze Ball's mug shot shows  him with glaring eyes and a sarcastic grin on his face that makes me want to slap him. I'm still livid that those hardware flunkies sent this low-life to my house and especially now since I have found out not only is he a thief, but a rapist. He's been on the registry for as long as I've lived here, but I did not recognize him and my sex-offender radar failed me completely. I'm also pretty horrified that every time I see him I confront him about the money he owes me for the lousy paint job he did...

Recently I ran into him again at another hardware store out of town. He looked at me and almost started to smile thinking he recognized me. Only when he saw the glare in my eyes and the scowl on my face did he realize who I was. At that point he averted his eyes and quickly walked away.

Within minutes he walked back up to the checkout counter where I was and got into the lane behind me, keeping his back toward me. I glanced in that direction and saw him. I thought, Don't confront him. It'll just make you angry.

As I was heading out the door I glanced back over at him again and saw he was buying a can of paint. All rationality left me. My evil alter ego burst forth. I spun around and marched right up beside him.

"SO...WHO ARE YOU RIPPING OFF THESE DAYS?"

No answer.

"WHO. ARE. YOU. RIPPING. OFF? GIVE ME THEIR NAME SO I CAN WARN THEM.

We were standing in front of the checkout girl and there was a whole line of people behind him. I was yelling loud enough for everyone to hear.

He didn't look up, but whispered, "Just walk away."

"OR WHAT??? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? YOU OWE ME A REFUND. PAY IT AND I'LL WALK AWAY."

He whispered again, "Walk away."

"YOU OWE ME MONEY, ASSHOLE, FOR SCREWING UP THE PAINT JOB ON MY HOUSE."

He ignored me. I started walking away. Knowing I was walking away, because he's such a coward, he mumbled something sideways over his shoulder at me. I have no idea what he said but I recognized the whiny, sarcastic tone he used to use with me. I'm pretty sure he didn't know I have superhero hearing. I rushed back at his side.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME?"

"Nothing." It was a wimpy little whisper.

"SO, YOU WERE MUMBLING AND WHINING INCOHERENTLY, AS USUAL.  ASSHOLE. YOU OWE ME MONEY."

I left.

What the HELL is wrong with me? I'm normally so non-confrontational. This is YATNA.

Yatna, the brave
Yatna, the reckless
Yatna, the crazy
Yatna, takin' no shit from sleaze bag

Good lord, don't ever screw me over unless you want the banshee from hell in your face with every casual encounter. I really didn't seem to have any control over myself. If I had, I might have thought of more interesting insults to throw at him.

Then I find out he's a sex offender.

This just makes me highly motivated to move...keeps me focused. And I'm not hiring any construction workers this year. I don't care how highly recommended they come.

Yatna will do all construction herself.

Zucchini Medallions (Recipe)

 

I've been eating zucchini for a while now since it's on my diet, but boiling it or eating it raw is really boring. I discovered a wonderful way to prepare it that is fast and easy. Sauté the little rounds in olive oil!

 

One little zucchini, sliced in circles

3-4 tablespoons of olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

 

Place olive oil in frying pan. Cut zucchini width-wise so you have little medallions.

 

 

 

 

Place medallions in pan. Heat to medium high. Fry on each side until brown.

 

 

 

 

Salt and pepper to taste. Serve. Eat. They are so sweet when fried in olive oil.

 

Yum.

 



Tiny Houses: Dumpsters!

Today there was an online article about a man who made a house out of a $2,000 dumpster. Here is the link and a video near the bottom of the page:


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2387619/Gregory-Kloehn-California-designer-turns-DUMPSTER-into-Brooklyn-getaway-complete-toilet-stove-sun-deck.html

I have to say I don't know if I'm attracted to living in a run-down lot in the middle of New York City in a dumpster. That just spells trouble...

I couldn't get the address to link so hopefully this will work. If not, you'll have to search it.

The Princess

STINK INVADERS

 

Every summer the princesses are out walking the streets selling themselves. Fair princesses. (See above, second from the left with the tiara and nervous smile.) They sell a button or a pass or something to get you into the fair. The princess who sells the most gets to be queen. My first year here the queen lived across the street from me which was quite exciting. The next year I had one walk right up to my backdoor. This was before I had "NO TRESPASSING" signs on the gate so they had easier access. I did, however, have a "FRAGRANCE FREE" warning on my porch so when I saw the Princess at the door, backing away carefully with her eyes on the sign, I opened the door and said, "Hello." She jumped like I was barking at her, looked like she was about to cry, and apologized profusely, "I'm so sorry! I'm wearing perfume!"

 

I thought it was so sweet she was at least taking my sign seriously.

 

This year I was out in the garage when the Princess arrived, so she didn't see the sign, but I was ready. She gave her best royal smile and sales pitch on the benefits of buying a button and supporting her candidacy. I could have asked her what her vision was for world peace or how she was going to make a difference with her life, if she had any notable talents or did well in school, but instead I asked the question, the only question that really matters:

 

 

"Do you wear perfume?"

 

 



"Yes, I do."

Wrong answer.

"Perfume is very toxic and poisonous."

Her royal smile quivered slightly.

"I'm sorry, I can't support you. Good luck."

She copped a really nasty attitude, turned to leave, and sarcastically yelled, "Bye." If she had been wearing a crown, it would have fallen off her head. If she wasn't such a rude little girl, I would have felt badly.

I wonder if I made an impact? The next time she sprays on the stink, will she think about me? Will she wonder what I was talking about? Will she make an effort to find out what I meant? Or will she give herself an extra squirt to spite me?

I do hope a princess shows up who isn't smelly....

Full-Time RVing

Driving around with your home pulled behind you, seeing the country, leaving if it's toxic or noisy, and living the life of a gypsy...what's not to like about that?

 

I'm tormented with the fact I don't know WHERE to move. Northern Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon, and Maine have been on the top of my list. What about all the locations that might be great and I might never know? Am I limiting myself to what I know at the risk of missing out on the most perfect place? Will I settle for second best because I stopped looking? The problem is I've never been to any of these places and I'm having a difficult time figuring out how to visit without taking weeks to drive there. So maybe that's what I need to do? Be nomadic. Look around. With my house behind me?

I considered full-time RVing as a future housing plan a few years ago. After visiting several dealerships I was pretty much limited to looking at one RV per day because of the very strong chemical smells that would knock me on my ass with one inhale. Most of the time I'd leave running for my life before I even reached the RV due to all the cologne the shifty salesmen were wearing.

Many of these mobile home manufacturers use the cheapest, most toxic materials possible such as Styrofoam, plywood, fiberglass insulation, caulking, plastics, adhesives, vinyl, laminates, and particle board. These materials are lighter weight which is very important in designing a trailer to be pulled by a vehicle. The problem with lightweight, modern materials is they are all created and then treated with various types of highly toxic chemicals and VOCs, formaldehyde being the most problematic. Propane, a convenient and cheap method of energy for small spaces and commonly used in RVs and camper-trailers, is often toxic to MCSers as well. Unfortunately, many RV owners, even those not chemically sensitive, negatively react to these offgassing chemicals in their tiny mobile homes so this is an industry issue. It stands to reason companies would want to improve the health standards of their products.

There are RV/trailer brands that claim to be "green" with an official TRA Green Certification or LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) approval such as Evergreen, Earthbound, Jayco, Coachman, and Airstream. Unfortunately, this doesn't necessarily mean their products are free of all offgassing chemicals nor healthy for the chemically sensitive, but they are headed in the right direction. RVs can also be custom designed to your personal specifications, but finding a company that understands chemical sensitivity might be a challenge.

During my initial investigation I also projected financial costs of full-time RVing. With camping costs, dumping fees, vehicle and trailer maintenance, insurance, high-tech Internet, and gas, it seemed RVing would cost more than living in my house. I also tested some campgrounds one summer and found them to be filled with insecticide-bathed campers, campfires, and free-roaming, free-crapping, barking dogs. Frustrated, I shelved that idea...

...until this week. I discovered Taylor Design Healthy Homes, a manufacturing company in New York that takes old Airstream trailers and converts them to non-toxic mobile homes for the chemically sensitive. Check out their website HERE.

I could live in a high-tech, non-toxic trailer like that! Some of the designs are as big if not bigger than the tiny houses and with the same efficient layout principles. The designers at Taylor Design use non-toxic materials like aluminum, wood, stainless steel and ceramic tiles. Very exciting. Whether or not they are truly non-toxic for me personally I have yet to discover. They will send you a sample of their materials for $25.00 so you can do the sniff test, but I don't know if I feel comfortable trusting this process. These trailers aren't cheap. It would be horrifying to invest all my money in one and then find I couldn't use it.

Assuming this trailer style or another would be healthy enough to live in 24/7, where will I put it? Could I avoid overpopulated, over-stinky campsites? There are remote and free camping options, but would those be safe enough? Would it be possible to find a caravan of MCS RVers to hang out with? I am discovering many full-time RV bloggers who claim it is less expensive than home ownership, but you have to know the secrets. They also say they would never go back to living in a house. It's very encouraging.

So my new idea...I can't move to Canada to join a MCS eco-village because Canada won't let me be a resident, but I wonder if they'd let me visit temporarily for six months with my gypsy trailer? Or I could zip down to Arizona and check out Snowflake to see if it's really a bad idea? Traverse over to Colorado and see if the air quality is as good as they say? Down to New Mexico for the winter. Keep going to Maine, the state with the least amount of chemical pollutants? Up to Novia Scotia where they don't even allow perfume. Over to England, Ireland and France on the ferry from Greenland just for fun. I can see myself living in France.... I've wanted to travel more, but getting on an airplane is out of the question. As I criss-cross around the country, if I find a place I really, really like, I'd stop. I wouldn't have to worry about renting or buying a [toxic] house nor dealing with the hassle (HASSLE!) of searching for something suitable because my safe home is with me!

The various websites on full-time RVing claim some of the more difficult aspects of a nomadic life are: selling your house (I can't wait!), leaving your community (good riddance, Rathole!), leaving your friends and family (I rarely see anyone anyway), and getting rid of stuff (hmmmm...). It's the getting rid of stuff I've had my whole life that will be a problem. Stuff makes me feel grounded and secure. I worry if I'll change my mind after a while, long for some stability, desire to find a real house, and regret getting rid of things. I have antiques my grandparents owned,  a library of beautiful books I've collected over the years, ceramics I've made, furniture I've painted...STUFF I'm rather attached to and couldn't easily replace. I don't even have a lot of stuff, but much more than will fit in a pint-sized trailer. I'll need storage until I can somehow detach myself from it. Living simply and lightweight has always been the ideal, but can I really do it?  (BE BRAVE, the goddess whispered.)

Is this dream possible?

Well, not with Peter unless I can put him in a mini-trailer pulled behind my trailer. Or on TOP of the trailer with the wind blowing through his long, floppy ears.

 

I don't think he'd like that much. I may need to put this on hold for a little while. In the meantime, I'll be researching.

I've always wanted to be a gypsy. Call me "Yatna, the Gypsy."

MCS Eco-Village

 

 

I want to join a MCS Eco-Village Permaculture Community. I can't seem to find one in existence, but I'm finding blogs written by people who are also interested. This is a start! I'm just not sure how to get everyone together. If I had lots of money, I'd buy the land and start building little houses..

BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME!

 

 

 

 

Here is what we need:

 

Land (twenty or more acres) in a relatively toxic-free area

Power (solar, electricity, other)

Water (well)

Septic System (composting toilets, greywater recycling, other)

Tiny houses

Community building with shared facilities (eventually)

Parking area outside the community

 

MY rules: Yes, I understand we will all have decide as a community and I am willing to compromise and be flexible on some of them, unless someone wants to crown me queen and let me be the dictator.
 

I AM QUEEN. OBEY ME.

 

No chemicals allowed.

Parking in the parking area only.

No fires.

No cell phones.

Organic gardening.

Working farm animals only and kept away the from residential area.

No unsocialized, untrained, barking dogs with inconsiderate owners.

No plastic.

No buying anything from China.

No GMO foods.

 

 



I'm not sure what to do about Internet as I don't want to deal with EMFs, but I really need Internet.

 

 

Check out Corinne Segura's website called My Chemical-Free House on my list of blogs at the right. She has some great information and ideas. Her location is in Canada. I've checked...Canadians don't want Americans unless we are young, fertile and want to populate some of the more remote regions. Still, it's a great idea. If there is a will, there is a way.